Ning Chen pinched the Ninth Princess's small cheek. "My thanks for the Princess's bounty!"

The Ninth Princess ducked her head, shy.

The Fifth Prince watched the two of them being affectionate, and a deep jealousy went across the back of his eyes.

He pushed the last piece of pastry into his mouth, then got up and came over, and took the Ninth Princess's hand, wheedling. "Huai'an. The pastries are all gone."

Ning Chen's face darkened all at once.

Even between a brother and sister of the same blood, that was too intimate a thing to do.

Children of the imperial house ought to be more careful of the proprieties, not less.

Ning Chen could not help thinking of how the Fifth Prince went through batch after batch of young women and closed their mouths for good the moment he tired of them.

Which meant the man was a lecher through and through.

He couldn't be after his own sister? Ning Chen startled himself with the thought, and disgusted himself with it.

Ning Chen reached out and took hold of the Fifth Prince's wrist, and tightened all five fingers.

"The Fifth Prince should eat fewer pastries. They're bad for you. They rot the teeth."

The pain forced the Fifth Prince to let go. His mouth crumpled, his eyes went red, and there were tears in his voice. "You — you pinched me and it hurt."

Ning Chen gave one last vicious squeeze before he let go, and put on an embarrassed look. "Bear with me, Fifth Prince. I was thinking of your health."

The Fifth Prince was in real pain. That one squeeze of Ning Chen's had come close to snapping his wrist.

He looked thoroughly wronged, and the tears stood swimming in his eyes.

The Fifth Prince pointed at Ning Chen and complained to Huai'an. "Huai'an, he's a bad man. My wrist hurts."

Ning Chen narrowed his eyes a little. That was a sickening piece of acting.

He was about to explain himself to the Ninth Princess — and then heard the Ninth Princess say, "Fifth Brother, you're a man.…